Standards for Preservice Teacher Education

Click on a Standard to See Relevant Artifacts and a Reflection

Standards List

  1. Understands Content
  2. Understands Development
  3. Understands Difference
  4. Designs Instructional Strategies
  5. Manages and Motivates
  6. Communicates
  7. Plans for Instruction
  8. Evaluates
  9. Reflects on Practice
  10. Participates in the Professional Community and Seeks Professional Growth
  11. Integrates Technology to Enhance Learning
  12. Understands Evolution of Public Education and its Legal and Ethical Responsibilities

Details

1. Understands Content DOE 24:16:07:01 (2) INTASC 1
The teacher demonstrates understanding of the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and the structures of his or her discipline to help all students learn meaningful subject matter. 11/08: The list of courses I've taken, next to my GPA of 3.8/4.0, is a serious indicator of my content area understanding. The Honors core has developed in me a strong command of written communication, and it laid a foundation of interdisciplinary importance that my Computer Science course work has built upon. The steps for software engineering, for example, reflect the general steps of problem solving, and systems are often built to support problem-solving efforts in other fields. Mathematics was my minor until I began the Math-Ed coursework. I have excelled in all of these areas, and this success will directly impact my comfort level with teaching the subjects. I can feel confident as a resource for my students. In my future coursework I intend to pay careful attention to the teaching strategies used with subjects in my content areas.
2. Understands Development DOE 24:16:07:01 (1) INTASC 2
The teacher demonstrates understanding of how children learn and develop and can provide opportunities leading to active learning that support their intellectual, social, and personal development. 09/09: The child development coursework has provided me with a sound theoretical background with which I can examine the behavior of my students. My twelve weeks teaching at summer camp have provided invaluable experience for direct observation of children from ages 8 to 17. Going into student teaching I will already feel very comfortable with my understanding of child development.
3. Understands Difference DOE 24:16:07:01 (1) INTASC 3
The teacher demonstrates understanding of how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners. 03/10: In addition to the common theme of Gardner's eight intelligences, found in several courses here at USD, I have had the opportunity to learn about different learning approaches specific to different cultural groups and specific to different disabilities. Assessing the contextual factors of WMS was one of the first things I did in the teacher education program, and the importance of understanding difference has been stressed ever since. I am particularly fond of my class on South Dakota Indian Studies, which has been a crash course in American Indian history, culture, ways of thinking, and ways of teaching. Our teacher has assured us more than once that we are now more educated about American Indians than most actual American Indians, and I hope to make the most of that distinction by making a difference through my teaching.
4. Designs Instructional Strategies DOE 24:16:07:01 (3) INTASC 4
The teacher uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students' development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills while incorporating state and national standards. 12/09: Almost every class in my teacher education program has provided me opportunities to plan lessons which reach into all levels of Bloom's Taxonomy and across many typs of Gardner's Multiple Intelligences, while at the same time demanding a match to multiple state and national standards for my subject. So far my artifacts are full of evaluations that are based on a product, but in the future I intend to include more complex, higher-level performance goals as well as more ways of directly measuring performance goals.
5. Manages and Motivates DOE 24:16:07:01 (4) INTASC 6
The teacher incorporates individual and group motivation and management strategies to establish a safe, orderly, and equitable learning environment that fosters positive social interaction, active engagement in learning and self-motivation. 04/10: Motivation is the second of two units covered in EPSY302, which I am currently taking. I feel significantly more comfortable now that I have an extensive theoretical background and toolbox full of concrete examples for how to motivate my students. My twelve weeks teaching at a summer camp has already provided me with valuable experience in both managing and motivating children ages 8-17. Classroom Management is a course that I will be taking during student teaching, and I am looking forward to gaining both a theoretical background and practical experience at the same time.
6. Communicates DOE 24:16:07:01 (4) INTASC 6
The teacher utilizes effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques with students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community. 03/10: The artifacts presented here (a professional interview with a long-time math teacher and the semi-formal contact with many computer science educators) are evidence of my effective communication with other professionals in my field and content areas. I have had limited field experience with students and virtually no field experience with parents. My twelve weeks teaching at summer camp provided my most valuable experience with both campers and their parents. Various courses in my teacher education program have given instruction on how to best communication with students and parents, but that was never the focus of my coursework, and I am looking forward to the chance to practice during student teaching.
7. Plans for Instruction DOE 24:16:07:01 (3) INTASC 7
The teacher demonstrates instructional planning based upon knowledge of students, subject matter, technology, curriculum goals, and the community. 12/09: Almost every class in my teacher education program has provided me opportunities to plan lessons in my content areas that include clear goals and objectives. I am a "planner" by nature and constantly revise the plans that I use or intend to use. Varied instructional experiences (including incorporating today's technology!) are a key, as well as assessments to match.
8. Evaluates DOE 24:16:07:01 (5) INTASC 8
The teacher creates, selects, and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner. 04/10: Since almost every course offers an opportunity to construct a lesson plan, almost every course offers an opportunity to design assessments. There has been some guidance throughout the program, but I am only just now taking the Educational Assessment course here at USD. It is an extensive look at types of testing, how to interpret testing, types of test items, and much more. It has also given me a much better feel for how standardized testing is used for my own job accountability, which is a relief to understand. Assessments, just like instruction, needs to be revised before and after each use, so I am anxiously anticipating the opportunity to practice such customization and reflection during student teaching.
9. Reflects on Practice DOE 24:16:07:01 (7) INTASC 9
The teacher continually evaluates the effects of his/her instructional choices and action on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community). 11/08: Reflecting on almost every assignment has really been an exercise in reinforcing what I've learned, understanding the importance of what I've learned, and identifying areas in which I need to improve. Reflection makes me aware of and responsible for my own progress and ultimately for my success as a teacher.
04/10 Update: Turns out we no longer do as much formal written reflection, which is just fine by me--we have enough paperwork without it! But sometimes I do feel the loss of the requirement to organize and put to text the reflections on our experiences. I think that, in practice, I still put a lot of thought into post-lesson reflection, and although there is no new paperwork to show for it, my used lesson is revised or amended for the next time.
10. Participates in the Professional Community and Seeks Professional Growth DOE 24:16:07:01 (6) INTASC 10
The teacher fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support students' learning and well being, and actively seeks opportunities for professional growth and development. 03/10: I have considered general teacher orgs and joined orgs in my content areas of computer science and mathematics. Support is minimal for computer science teachers, but ACM (the oldest and biggest organization of computing professionals) fully supports their national Computer Science Teachers Association. I am most involved with ACM and their CSTA's mission to improve computer science education through writing to policymakers and developing the ACM Model Curriculum for K12 Computer Science. Attending the SIGCSE conference was also a great opportunity to connect with my fellow CS educators. I'm excited by all the help and information teacher orgs seem to provide, and I will be looking into math orgs soon, now that I have decided I will be teaching in Nebraska.
11. Integrates Technology to Enhance Learning ISTE/NETS I-VII DOE 24:16:07:01 (3)
The teacher employs the ethical use of current technologies, software, and telecommunications networks to plan, design, deliver, implement, and evaluate student learning. 12/08: For three years before pursuing an education degree, I was learning computer science for its own sake. Taking TET200 and having a technology chapter in the EDFN338 text have been instrumental for me to make the distinction between technology for its own sake and for instruction. Our activities in TET200 directly reflect the design, delivery, and assessment of student learning through different Web page elements, and my longtime enthusiasm for technology will help me continue to stay on top of current technologies and their possible use in the classroom.
04/10 Update: The Math Methods course at USD pushed technology in a way that aligned with my excitement to use technology and my desire to use it effectively. The third artifact in the list is part of a presentation I gave to that class which included a very flexible, extendible example for using the free ImageJ software in a math lesson.
12. Understands Evolution of Public Education and its Legal and Ethical Responsibilities DOE 24:16:07:01 (8)
The teacher upholds the moral, legal, and ethical responsibilities of the teaching profession. 04/10: The teacher education program at USD is strangely quiet on legal and ethical responsibilities of teaching. Our Foundations course provided a good historical overview of public education, but legal issues in teaching are scattered throughout the coursework. It started with a brief discussion of copyright law and plagiarism in TET200, much complaining about NCLB in almost every course, and the only topic adequately covered being special education law in SPED405. I have had to do my own searching for answers on questions about mandatory reporting, school safety, union insurance and responsibilities, and other topics.