11/23/22, 8:29 AM McCollum Master of Science in Education Graduate Portfolio NO RUBRIC

McCollum Master of Science in Education Graduate

Portfolio NO RUBRIC
by Kathryn McCollum
Welcome

Welcome

           Hello and welcome to my portfolio! My name is Katie (Kathryn) McCollum and I

am a graduate student studying Curriculum and Instruction at Peru State College. I am
taking online courses to improve my lessons and instruction for my students.

           Growing up, I would help my mom with her school as she was an elementary
school music teacher. I love working with kids of all ages, but middle and high students
are my favorite. While I was in middle school, I helped teach the art club at my
Elementary School. Once I was in high school, I joined Math Honors Society and started
tutoring other students. During this time, I really started to figure out how to explain
different topics in new ways. I learned I love working with students to help them reach
their “a-ha” moments.

           Throughout my educational career, I have discovered everyone is able to learn. Some students have to work
through challenges, and learning might be harder for them. Those students just need someone to come along side and
guide their learning. I believe I have been gifted with the ability to explain concepts in multiple ways, and help students
reach understanding. The more I work with students, the more I enjoy guiding their learning.

I hope you enjoy my portfolio,

Katie McCollum

All About Me!

Autobiography

           I grew up in Fort Collins, Colorado. I have one brother, Andrew, who is 5 years older than me and has a degree in
welding. Andrew and his wife, Megan, have two beautiful children I enjoy spoiling. I have played the piano since I was in
elementary school and enjoy being able to lose myself in a piece. Ever since I was little I have enjoyed using math and
strategy in different games and incorporate them in my teaching. In my free time, I can be found listening to music or
reading a fantasy book!

            After graduating from Fort Collins High School, I decided to pursue an engineering degree at Colorado State
University. During that time, I was able to do some study abroads in China and Australia. While I was in Australia, it
became clear to me I was not as interested in the engineering as I was the math. When I got back from Australia, I decided
to switch to a general math degree with a concentration in education.

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            During
my last
semester at
Colorado State
University, I
completed my
student
teaching in a
small rural
school called
Hoehne High
School in
Trinidad,
Colorado. It
was an
adjustment
moving to a
new city, but I
loved it! I really enjoyed working one-on-one with the students. Because Hoehne is so small, many of the class have
twenty or less students. One of the hardest parts of my student teaching was trying to teach during a pandemic. In the rural
areas there is not always reliable internet, so my mentor teacher and I needed to be creative when coming up with ways to
teach our students while they were at home.

            Thankfully, after I graduated in May of 2020 with a Bachelor’s of Science in General mathematics with a
concentration in Education, I was hired at Hoehne High School to be a full time secondary teacher. Because of how small
Hoehne is, I teach anything from Algebra 1 to Calculus. I enjoy teaching a range of subjects, and am always kept on my
toes! While this past year was hard with the pandemic, I was able to get to know all my students and create good bonds.
We were even able to play some math games in class!

          After working for two years at Hoehne High School, I moved back to Northern Colorado to be closer to family.
Currently I am teaching at Windsor High School. I teach Algebra 1 and Algebra 2. Only having two classes to prepare for
is a bit different than having 6-7 classes. I am enjoying working with a new staff and new students! Completing my
master’s degree through Peru State College will help me to be the best teacher I can possibly be for my students!

Educational Philosophy

Educational Philosophy

           It’s important to create a classroom where students feel free to make mistakes and learn from them. I encourage
students to problem solve and take those skills into the real world. Throughout my education career, I have come to see
everyone is able to learn. Some students have to work through challenges, and learning might be harder for them. Those
students just need someone to come along side and guide their learning. I believe I have been gifted with the ability to
explain concepts in multiple ways, and help students reach understanding. The more I work with students, the more I
enjoy guiding their learning.

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           Another important piece of my philosophy is giving all my students a chance to shine. Every student is different
and it’s my job to see how they best learn. I want to help students discover their own personal brand of genius and
empower them.

           Math tends to be a subject students get frustrated with. I tell my students Math stands for “Mistakes Allow
Thinking to Happen.” People learn the most from making mistakes. I encourage my students to feel safe making mistakes,
as mistakes are an invaluable part of learning. This line of thinking also follows students into the real world. Humans are
not perfect, so how do we react and correct our mistakes?

           Learning is a lifelong skill. I strive to teach my students how to be critical thinkers and how to be part of their
community. We live in a world where people think it is survival of the strongest rather than working together. I encourage
my students to come together as a community and learn and grow together.

Resume

Resume/Letter of Intro

Please see attached files for my resume and letter of introduction

Attachments resume_11.2022_with_qr__1_.docx, letter_of_intro.docx

Artifact 1 - EDUC 612

Final Curriculum Integration Paper

I selected the Final Curriculum Integration Paper developed in EDUC 612 Technology
and Mediated Instruction for one of my portfolio artifacts. This paper discusses the
strategies and resources I learned about to improve my use of technology in the
classroom. This paper demonstrates each of the standards listed below and has
provided me with an opportunity to expand my knowledge of skills and resources.

Standard: NE-PERU-G-2011.1.1.2 Candidates design and implement a variety of

appropriate instructional strategies to meet the unique needs of all students.

Reflection: This standard is demonstrated by the way I am looking at where all my

students are coming from. I need to make sure I know what technology background my
students have. I can’t expect my students to know how to use tools such as Khan
Academy if I have not shown it to them before. Some of my students will understand
how to work the technology right away whereas others will need more help. I need to be
prepared for some of my students to finish right away and others to take more time.

Standard: NE-PERU-G-2011.1.1.4 Candidates effectively integrate technology in

planning and implementing instruction to advance student learning.
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Reflection: This standard is demonstrated through the ways I talk about adding in new
resources. I can help students create a more visual learning experience by using the
tools like Desmos and Khan Academy. Students now have the chance to play with
different types of equations and discover for themselves how all the different pieces of
equations work together. I add time to my lessons to teach students how to use the
resource, then let them play and take learning into their own hands.

Standard: NE-PERU-G-2011.2.1.3 Through self-reflection, candidates critically examine

their teaching to enhance their professional skills, instructional strategies, assessment
practices, and collegial competencies.

Reflection: This standard is demonstrated by how I took the time to reflect on the

different technology resources I learned about. I took the time to go through each
resource and see how I can apply it to my own teaching.  I looked at the different ways
to create lessons and how I can make sure I am meeting my students where they are
at. I learned new strategies and am excited to try them out! Some of the strategies will
be easy for me to incorporate with my teaching, such as games, because I want my
students to have fun with math. 

Attachments McCollum___Final_Curriculum_Integration_Paper.docx

Artifact 2 - EDUC 600

Education of Hispanic Americans PowerPoint

I selected the Education of Hispanic American PowerPoint developed in EDUC

600 Sociology of Education for one of my portfolio artifacts. This presentation explains
how Hispanic Americans  participates in the US Education System. First, Hispanic
Americans are defined, and then the struggles these students face is analysed. The
creation of this PowerPoint demonstrates eachof the standards mentioned below, and
has opened my eyes to the struggles of different ethnicities. 

Standard: INTASC-2013.10.m -The teacher understands that alignment of family,

school, and community spheres of influence enhances student learning and that
discontinuity in these spheres of influence interferes with learning.

Reflection: This standard is demonstrated by understanding different family dynamics.

By taking the time to learn about different ethnicities and how their family life can affect
their school work, I can see how important the parent/teacher relationship is. Both
parents and teachers need to work together to encourage students rather than create
friction. Students come from different backgrounds, and different family relationships.
Hispanic students tend to have large, close families. I need to make sure I am working
with the parent and student to encourage learning rather than causing anxiety.

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Standard: INTASC-2013.3.l - The teacher understands how learner diversity can affect
communication and knows how to communicate effectively in differing environments.

Reflection:  This standard is demonstrated by learning how different ethnicities

communicate with each other. Most of my Hispanic students do well  in the classroom,
but do nothing outside of the classroom. This is partly because when my students are
out of school they are expected to work or help with the family. By knowing the types of
families my students come from, I can better understand and learn how best to teach
and communicate with all my students. I need to make sure my lessons are helping
them to succeed in life rather than just giving students busy work.

Standard: NBPTS.EN.P-12.4 - Diversity. Accomplished teachers of students with

exceptional needs create an environment in which equal treatment, fairness, and
respect for diversity are modeled, taught, and practiced by all, and they take steps to
ensure access to quality learning opportunities for all students.

Reflection: This standard is demonstrated by how I took the time to learn about different
students in my classroom. Learning about where students come from can help a
teacher better create lesson plans to encourage learning. Some of my Hispanic
students are struggling, but now I understand how they learn best. I can adapt my
lessons to be more meaning ful and interesting for them. By doing this, I am teaching all
my students where they are at and encouraging them in their academic journey.

Attachments McCollum_EDUC600_Education_of_Hispanic_Americans.pptx

Artifact 3 - EDUC 601

Final Research Paper

For this class, I did a sample paper showing my understanding of the action research
process. My topic looked at how teachers can best help students who are kinesthetic
learners. Kinesthetic learners are students who learn best by doing hands on activities
rather than just seeing or hearing. One way to best assist these students is by teaching
using project based methods. Project based teaching methods let students take control
of their learning and discover content knowledge on their own. The learning is lead by a
focus question.

Standard INTASC-2013.10.a - The teacher takes an active role on the instructional

team, giving and receiving feedback on practice, examining learner work, analyzing
data from multiple sources, and sharing responsibility for decision making and
accountability for each student’s learning.

Reflection: This standard is demonstrated through the research done about different
types of learners. I took data from my students, and from studies done by others to see
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how my students learn best. The research I completed was shared with my co-workers
so they could benefit from the work I have already completed. The goal was to help
students learn in the best way possible, and in order to that, we need to understand how
different students learn.

Standard INTASC-2013.10.c - The teacher engages collaboratively in the school-wide

effort to build a shared vision and supportive culture, identify common goals, and
monitor and evaluate progress toward those goals.

Reflection: This standard is demonstrated by the sharing of progress. As I worked

through this research, I was working with my co-workers to see if the research I was
finding goes along with what they were seeing in their classrooms. The goal was to see
how we could teach the content in the most effective way with the best student
understanding and retention possible.

Standard INTASC-2013.5.j - The teacher understands how current interdisciplinary

themes (e.g., civic literacy, health literacy, global awareness) connect to the core
subjects and knows how to weave those themes into meaningful learning experiences.

Reflection: This standard is demonstrated through the idea of the research. Once we
understand how our students learn best, we are able to work with other contents to
connect ideas. As a math teacher, I like working with my social studies co-workers to
create a lesson that goes along with something students are already working on in
class. This helps students understand the purpose behind what we are learning each
day in class.

Attachments McCollum___Research_Paper.docx

Artifact 4 - EDUC 621

Concept of Curriculum

The Concept of Curriculum shows my understanding of how all the different pieces of
curriculum fit together. I used an analogy of an umbrella to help readers understand the
importance of each piece. If there is a piece missing when building the content, the
umbrella will not protect against the rain. Likewise, students will not be prepared to
move on to more complex ideas.

Standard INTASC-2013.2.f - The teacher accesses resources, supports, and

specialized assistance and services to meet particular learning differences or needs.

Reflection: This standard is demonstrated by showing the need to go outside of the box
sometimes when creating curriculum. As a teacher, we are not always prepared for all
of our students. We need to work with others, and find resources to better support our

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students. Sometimes we need to find more ways to teach the same content as not all
students learn the same way.

Standard INTASC-2013.8.e - The teacher provides multiple models and representations

of concepts and skills with opportunities for learners to demonstrate their knowledge
through a variety of products and performances.

Reflection: This standard is demonstrated by creating a vizual to represent

understanding. By using a metaphor of an umbrella, I have shown understanding and
mastery of how each different piece of curriculum fits together. If we are missing one
piece, the umbrella fails and rain gets through. This is the same with content
knowledge. If we are missing a piece, students are not fully prepared to move one.

Standard INTASC-2013.4 - Content Knowledge. The teacher understands the central

concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and
creates learning experiences that make the discipline accessible and meaningful for
learners to assure mastery of the content.

Reflection: This standard is demonstrated by using the idea of an umbrella to bring all
the different pieces of a curriculum today. Without understanding of how all the different
pieces intereact, there can be no true understanding of the content trying to be taught.
As a teacher, I need to know what I have taught, where I am going, and how they are
related to each other.

Attachments McCollum___CurriculumDevelopment.docx

Artifact 5 - EDUC 623

Instructional Analysis Project

The Instructional Analysis Project challeneged me to look at a unit I currently teach, and
examine the data once the unit is complete. Seeing all the different breakdowns by
standards was interesting to see where my students thrived and where students
struggled. This will be am important practice to continue as I create more unit plans. 

Standard: INTASC-2013.7.o - The teacher values planning as a collegial activity that

takes into consideration the input of learners, colleagues, families, and the larger
community.

Reflection:This standard is demonstrated by the lesson plan portion of the paper. As I

work through each of my lesson plans, I want to make sure I have creating different
supports and resources for both parents and students. Not all families have the ability to
help with high school level math homework, so its important to make sure the parents
are being supported and taken into account when planning lessons.

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Standard: INTASC-2013.6.c  -The teacher works independently and collaboratively to

examine test and other performance data to understand each learner’s progress and to
guide planning.

Reflection: This standard is demonstrated by the data collection and reflection section of
the paper. I used all the test scores from my students to see how well each of the
different standards were mastered. Once I finished going through my students results, I
worked with my team to see how their students data compared to mine. This helped us
as a team see where we need to spend more time as we move forward.

Standard: INTASC-2013.4.f   -The teacher evaluates and modifies instructional

resources and curriculum materials for their comprehensiveness, accuracy for
representing particular concepts in the discipline, and appropriateness for his/her
learners.

Reflection: This standard is also demonstrated by the data collection and reflection

section of the paper. After going through the data, we saw there is a need to revisit
some of the exponent standards as we go along. We can do this in a review form, so we
are not reteaching the content but rather reminding the students of what we have
already learned. This also helped me to see the importance of doing more in-depth
reviews before test day.

Attachments
McCollum___Analysis_of_Classroom_Instruction_and_Assessment.docx

Created By 

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