Vision Statement
Edinboro University prepares highly qualified teacher candidates
and related professionals who effectively facilitate student learning.
Through knowledge, skills, dispositions, experiences, and understanding of our
diverse and global society, our candidates successfully contribute to the
future of their students, to their own professional development, and to the
well-being of the larger community.
Belief Statements
The successful professional education program prepares educators and
related professionals who…
A. Accept the
requirement to build a civil society that focuses on respect and embraces
diversity.
My experiences at Edinboro University
of Pennsylvania have taught me not only the importance of diversity, but that
diversity stretches well beyond the color of one’s skin. Through courses based on teaching in multicultural
classrooms, and teaching students with exceptionalities Edinboro provided me
with the skills to reach every type of student and every type of learner that I
encountered. I then had the wonderful
opportunity of practicing these skills through my fieldwork at Perseus House
Charter School of Excellence; where I worked with English as a Second Language
(ESL) students from Nepal, Lebanon, Iraq, Taiwan, and many other places. My experiences at Northwest Pennsylvania
Collegiate Academy and Harborcreek Junior Senior High School have allowed me to
work with and encourage relationships between students of different religious,
socioeconomic, ethnic backgrounds, and academic backgrounds. Each teaching opportunity I have been given
while studying at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania has taught me that every student
is different, that “different” is not bad, and that relationships between those
who are different must be fostered in order for new and innovative ideas to be
formed.
B. Demonstrate
pedagogical skills built on a solid foundation of discipline-specific content,
reinforced by a broad liberal arts education and supervised clinical experiences.
Over the course of my education at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania I
have been given the opportunity within the classroom to practice my skills in
front of my educators and peers so that I may perfect my teaching style and prepare
to be in front of a classroom of students.
Though this was helpful in building a foundation of discipline-specific
content, it was my time in my field experience and student teaching placements
that reinforced my learning and skills.
During this time my co-operative teachers and academic advisor guided me
in the areas I needed to master, and allowed me to practice those skills I have
been successful at thanks to my education at Eidnboro University of
Pennsylvania.
C. Effectively utilize
community resources to support the educational and personal growth of learners.
I was able to effectively utilize community resources to support the
educational and personal growth of learners through the use of resources such
as “turnitin.com” which helped students receive instant visual feedback on
their writing style and skills, and the use of the school library to teach the
research process. The use of the
Standards Alignment System and Common Core State Standards helped me develop
strong lesson plans that would help create college and work force ready
students as well as create assessments that are meaningful and appropriate to
task.
D. Engage in a professional
learning community, committing themselves to excellence, continual study,
practice, reflection, and self-improvement.
Every experience I have had at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, from
my own classroom learning, to my field experience, and student teaching, has
offered me the opportunity to engage in a professional learning community and
allowed me continual study, practice, reflection and self-improvement. In my own classes I was able to learn from my
mistakes and practice my skills, in my field experience I worked with
professional educators to learn new teaching methods and classroom management
skills, and throughout my student teaching process I participated in
educational in-services about Common Core State Standards, Assessment
Practices, and Teaching Methods.
Throughout my field and student teaching experiences I completed lesson
reflections that allowed me to self evaluate and make improvements to
strengthen my techniques and methods.
E. Exhibit continual
informed decision-making, planning, and facilitation of learning based on
knowledge of research, best practices, state and national student performance
standards, and ethical standards of the profession.
Throughout my time at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania I have been
given the opportunity to practice my skills in a number of settings; Urban
Seminar in Philadelphia, Pa, field experience at Perseus House Charter School
of Excellence, and student teaching at Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate
Academy and Harbor Creek Junior Senior High School. Each of these teaching experiences have
allowed me to practice continual informed decision-making, planning, and facilitation
of learning based on knowledge of research, best practices, state and national
student performance standards, and ethical standards of the profession. I have done this through creating lesson
plans based on the Pennsylvania and Common Core State Standards, teaching
required curriculum and keystone exam based material, adapting my lessons for
deviated instruction to meet the needs of all students, and by adhering to
ethical standards of the profession of education.
F. Give back to the
community through civic action.
Throughout my time at Edinboro University I have had a number of
opportunities to give back to the community through civic action. During my first few semesters at the
university I worked as a Graduate Assistant for the Ghering Health and Wellness
Center. During my time there I helped to
coordinated blood drives, and donate blood, I helped organize “The Red Dress
Campaign” which raised money for the American Heart Association, and I donated
my time and money to numerous campus philanthropic fundraisers. As a student teacher I had the opportunity to
participate in Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy’s “Beach Walk” which
raises money for college scholarships, and I donated to Harbor Creek Junior
Senior High Schools Vocal Ensemble to help pay for a competition they would
like to participate in. Most importantly
I feel as though my time spent in the classroom helping to educate students
from a multitude of backgrounds can be seen as my biggest form of giving back
to the community.
G. Lead and monitor all
student learners using motivational and management skills.
The courses I have taken, and the professors who have provided
instruction, during my education at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania have
provided me with teaching strategies, classroom management skills, and
motivational skills that provide essential during my time as a student
teacher. Each class that I instructed
while student teaching gave me the opportunity to practice these skills, try
new skills, and reflect on which techniques worked best, which techniques I
still needed to master, and which techniques to simply set aside. I faced a variety of different learners in
each teaching setting which allowed me plenty of opportunity to practice leading
and monitoring all student learners through the use of the motivational and
management skills I have acquired at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.
H. Recognize the
importance of technology and are able to utilize current and appropriate
technology for instruction, administration, and facilitation of learning.
With the multitude of
technologies available to students today, it is important that they learn how
to use them effectively and appropriately.
This standard was met in the classroom through the use of laptops,
document cameras, video cameras, editing software, and the Smartboard. Students were instructed on the uses of these
technologies and how they can aide in learning.
Laptops, the document camera, and the Smartboard were used daily, and
lesson plans to make these technologies interactive were implemented. Using technology just to use technology does
not help the learning process, therefore it was important to create learning
opportunities and lesson plans that used technology in such a way that it
helped clarify ideas or content, and made the learning process more enjoyable
for students.
I. Strive for congruence
of professional and interpersonal dispositions to interact, communicate, and
collaborate effectively with students, families, colleagues, and the community.
During my time as a student teacher I
worked towards having a professional and interpersonal disposition that allowed
my students to know that I was the authority figure and yet I was still
approachable, that allowed me to communicate with my cooperative teachers,
academic adviser, student teaching supervisor, other educators, and my peers to
discuss resources I could be using, techniques and strategies to
try and lesson plans that would be beneficial to each student. I was also given the opportunity through Open
Houses, parent teacher conferences, and email correspondence with parents to
express my excitement to be teaching their child, that I was always available
to discuss any concerns, and to keep them involved in their child’s learning
process.
J. Utilize personal
creativity, flexibility, and skill in assessing, creating and adapting
instruction that provides opportunities for every student to be successful.
I have learned a great deal while studying at Edinboro University of
Pennsylvania; one of my greatest lessons was that you need to plan for every
scenario. Things will not always go the
way you hoped and therefore you need to already have a “plan b” ready, and you
must be flexible. Assemblies you didn't know about will be called, fire drills will interrupt your lesson, one class
will grasp a concept faster than you expect and the other will struggle, these
are all just facts of life when it comes to being an educator. I have practiced always having at least the
next three lesson plans prepared so that I am always using instructional time
effectively, I have learned to adapt my plans to fit the needs of my students
and allow them to have some say in their learning, I have practiced both
formative and summative assessments to ensure my students are learning. Most importantly I have deviated my
instruction to reach every student in my classroom; every student can learn, it
is a matter of finding their strengths to help them learn.
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