Standard 4: Teaching for Critical Thinking

The teacher candidate uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students critical
thinking, problem solving, and performance skills including instructional resources. [SB 291
Section 161.380.2 (1) Students actively participate and are successful in the learning process.]
The teacher uses different teaching techniques to help students critically
think, solve problems, and help kids know how to use their resources. This is important
to use different techniques because each student learns differently. with a variety of
strategies, more kids will understand the topic. These strategies will encourage students
by pushing them to use these tools to become a better student. My WebQuest will push
the students to do extensive research to understand the topic more. Technology will
make it easier for students to find and learn the little things in the assignment.
Quality Indicator 1: Instructional strategies leading to student engagement in problem
solving and critical thinking
4C1) The teacher candidate demonstrates knowledge and its application of researched
based models of critical thinking and problem solving and identifies and distinguishes
between various types of instructional strategies and appropriate resources.
The students will want to learn about the topic. This will make them
remember what they learned for years to come. They will apply themselves to the task as
it is pretty interesting to young students. Having students work together will apply them
to push each other to do work and itll be easier as they have technology to do so. I will
choose the internet to make it simple.
Quality Indicator 2: Appropriate use of instructional resources to enhance student
learning
4C2) The teacher candidate demonstrates knowledge and its application of current
instructional resources and how they benefit the teaching and learning process.
How does your artifact demonstrate your knowledge and application of
current instructional resources? How do they benefit the teaching and
learning process? The Common Core Standards are an example of current
instructional resources. Explain how the CCS were applied to your
WebQuest, and lesson planning, and how they might benefit the teaching
and learning process.
My artifact demonstrates different learning techniques that will need to be
done in order to attain all the knowledge needed for my lesson. This is beneficial as it
requires critical thinking and allows students to figure out things on their own.
Quality Indicator 3: Cooperative learning
4C3) The teacher candidate demonstrates knowledge and its application of multiple
strategies for effective student engagement.
How does your artifact address effective student engagement? Did your
lesson/artifact address cooperative learning? How? How was this strategy
effective in keeping students engaged?
My artifact has the students working in groups to do their project. It addresses
cooperative learning as students both have to do their part in the group in order to have
all the information I have asked for in the project. It is effective as the students will be
asking one-another questions about their topics and giving their own opinions on the
subject.

Reflection
1. Describe what you have learned about the standard and indicator, showing
supporting evidence of how your learning has progressed throughout your
coursework/experience.
I have learned that engaging students and helping them learn how to
cooperate in groups and individually with one-another is vital in a healthy
classroom environment.
2. Write a self-evaluation on how you think you meet the objectives of this standard
and indicator. Give detailed descriptions, meaningful justifications, showing
insightful, in-depth reflective practice related to higher levels of Blooms
Taxonomy.
I created the WebQuest allowing students to see the differences in
the past olympics to present. Each day i will continue to educate students on
different aspects on the olympics, from its formation and reasoning behind why it
was started, to how each sport is played.