Sense of Praxis

As reflective scholar-practitioners, teacher
candidates develop a Sense of Praxis that
begins with an unwavering belief that each
individual can learn, grow, and develop
their unique identity and purpose to
contribute as citizens of the world. A rich
understanding of the foundational theory
and of the subject matter teacher
candidates will teach, including the evolving
body of professional knowledge in their field, forms the foundation for translating
theory into practice through designing,
implementing, and accounting for
meaningful learning experiences now and
throughout their career. Such experiences
intentionally reflect an understanding of
how learners grow, develop, and think, with
the highest respect for individual and
cultural differences in the design of
engaging learning environments.

MEES Standard 1: Content knowledge
aligned with appropriate instruction

The teacher understands the central
concepts, structures, and tools of inquiry of
the discipline(s) and creates learning
experiences that make these aspects of
subject matter meaningful and engaging for
all students.

Universal Design for Learning
Unit Plan

Link to Artifact

Description

Using a unique approach to this unit plan for fourth grade my group and I started by first creating an authentic assessment and then we created a unit plan around this assessment. Universal Design for Learning guided the creation of this unit and created authentic learning experiences for all types of learners.

Alignment with Theme/MEES

The final assessment of this created unit asked students to create an animal sanctuary based on conservation efforts they learned about. This entire unit addresses and meets state standards in science, math, social studies, language arts, and social justice standards. In alignment with both the theme and the standards, we created an authentic learning experience that had students interact with the content with a multi-sensory approach that was differentiated for all learners.

Reflection

The diverse needs of students are not only acknowledged but addressed in this plan. The curriculum was adapted and modified when necessary to include every student. Every student’s voice is reflected in this unit and they are expected to transform their learning into a final project that makes sense to them.

Connection to Goals

One of my future goals as an educator is to create a learning environment that is both inclusive and interactive. I want learning experiences to be meaningful and transferable beyond the classroom. I believe that this unit achieves that goal by exposing students to real world problem solving and is inclusive of their individual needs.