Running Head: Telling My Story Using My PDQP

Week 1 – Assignment 1: Telling My Story Using My PDQP

Kelly Burkhead

National University TED 690

March 7, 2018

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for

TED 690−Capstone Course

Carol M. Shepherd, Ed.D.

Running Head: Telling My Story Using My PDQP

Abstract

Through various artifacts, resources, a personal reflection of development made within Domain

A of TPE 1: Specific Pedagogical skills for Subject Matter Instruction. Four main specific areas

will be discussed with regard to this Domain. These include progress in achieving competencies,

identification of strengths and needs, discussion of potential competencies used in PDQP

development, and a rationale for selecting and completing areas of professional needs and goals

achieved.
Running Head: Telling My Story Using My PDQP

This candidate’s teaching career lies at the beginning of a journey full of constant self-

reflection. Even with the little experience thus far, this candidate finds that a teacher’s roleis one

that requires constant evaluation and reflection of strengths, weaknesses, goals, and progress. Of

particular interest is the subject area of Science, although the focus is a Multiple Subject

Credential.

Progress in achieving competencies in TPE 1 is constantly evolving towards success. Six

months ago, progress would have been at a point much less advanced than where it lies today.

Today, this candidate is more cognizant and capable of successfully creating, implementing, and

adapting to the needs of students in successfully executing instruction in most any subject matter.

Most of this is due to experience and exposure to a plethora of situations and diverse students

with diverse learning styles, needs, strengths, and weaknesses. Having a wonderful support

system of colleagues, supervisors, and master teachers providing appropriate feedback and

recommendations was also a large contribution.

Strengths and needs in Specific Pedagogical skills for Subject Matter Instruction in

Science are more specific than the evaluation of progress. Strengths include the ability to

quickly modify instruction based on feedback received from students. These may be verbal,

nonverbal, formative assessments which quickly allow a teacher to regroup a lesson to ensure

academic success of students. Needs include further honing and putting to use technological

skills which have become such a basic component of today’s society. Some programs have been

introduced to reinforce material taught in the classroom. These activities not only support

learning by providing an additional source of information, but students find technology more

engaging and it has the ability to better reach diverse learners. Recently, Kahoot was used to

play a game about thermodynamics in Science in a sixth-grade class. Technology is the vehicle
Running Head: Telling My Story Using My PDQP

this candidate will use to drive the creation of the PDQP. According to Costantino and Lorenzo

(2009), “the general advantage of producing an electronic teaching portfolio is that you develop

your skill and become more versatile in your use of technology, you will advance from literacy

to fluency” (p.33).

Potential competencies to be used for this candidate’s PDQP are the hands-on activities

and projects incorporated into lessons, such as in Science lessons. Learning by creating a project

or building a model, that represents a particular concept is a more engaging and effective

approach. For example, in a third-grade rotation, Science lessons always incorporated hands on

models that were built and then drawn into a Science journal after previewing vocabulary and

viewing a short video. Artifacts include two particular hands on science projects created in the

classroom.

Justification for selecting and completing areas of needs and goals achieved in Science

stem from a personal interest. Science can be a multifaceted subject incorporating other subject

areas such as English Language Arts and Math. The focus here may also be due to the

experience that the subject tends to be most difficult for students to grasp. Therefore, the subject

is an area where skills should be enhanced.

Running Head: Telling My Story Using My PDQP

References

Costantino, P., Lorenzo, M., & Tirrell-Corben, C. (2009). Developing a professional teaching
portfolio: A guide for success. (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson