Name: Julie Cabaniss Duncan
IRA Standards / Artifacts / RationaleStandard 1. Foundational Knowledge.
1.1Candidates understand major theories and empirical research that describe the cognitive, linguistic, motivational, and sociocultural foundations of reading and writing development, processes, and components, including word recognition, language comprehension, strategic knowledge, and reading–writing connections. / Exam papers from RE 5100,
Beginning Readers and Writers
Assessment Summary Sheet
from RE 5715, Reading
Assessment and Correction
Case reports from RE 5725,
Practicum in the Clinical
Teaching of Reading
Instructional Strategies Lesson Plans RE 5730,
Reading and Writing Instruction
for Intermediate and Advanced
Learners
Reflective papers or exams from
RE 5210, Educating Students
with Reading Disabilities
Wiki Participation from RE 6575
Technology and Literacy
Reflective blog from
RE 5120, Psychological Bases of
Reading / I have gained a greater understanding of the major theories in reading education by these courses listed.
All of these courses helped increase my knowledge of literacy and how to best instruct my students. Exams from RE 5100 made me look at the history of reading practices and those used presently. In RE 5715 I learned how to assess students and make decisive decisions about how to further their individual learning. As a requirement for RE 5725 I tutored two below level reading students for one hour each day. I used my knowledge of assessments to plan their reading and writing instruction. A case study was written for each student to show their individual needs and a recommendation for their continued reading development. Instructional Strategies lesson plans from RE 5730 help provide me with tools needed to implement a strong reading and writing curriculum. Reflective papers and exams form RE 5210 helped me look at the disabled reader and what steps are needed to seek assistance for these students. Participating in a collaborative blog with the Wiki in RE 6575 and a reflective blog in RE 5120, encouraged my learning from other professionals in the reading field.
1.2Candidates understand the historically shared knowledge of the profession and changes over time in the perceptions of reading and writing development, processes, and components.
1.3Candidates understand the role of professional judgment and practical knowledge for improving all students’ reading development and achievement.
Standard 2. Curriculum and Instruction.
2.1 Candidates use foundational knowledge to design or implement an integrated, comprehensive, and balanced curriculum. / Literacy Through Photography project and personal Memoir from RE 5130,
Teaching the Language Arts
Author’s Study, Children’s Book
Summaries from RE 5140,
Advanced Study of Children’s
Literature
Read Write Think Lesson
Planning; Instructional Strategies
Assignment from RE 5730,
Reading and Writing Instruction
for Intermediate and Advanced
Learners
Case reports from RE 5725,
Practicum in the Clinical
Teaching of Reading / I have learned that the reading curriculum needs to be balanced with guided reading and writing instuction. The Literacy Through Photography from RE 5130 was a great project to engage my first graders by teaching them how to write about a past memory. They were taught how to express themselves by use of multigenre such as I Amand Haikupoems and creating a book jacket. In RE 5140 I read many books which heightened my view of the language arts in upper elementary grades. I wrote summaries to these books that I may someday use as guided reading texts. In RE 5730 I have used many of the instructional strategies that I learned about incorporating them in my first grade language arts program. I created a Read, Write, Think lesson plan using Readers Theater to increase fluency. Also, my students were able to create a bubble map on the computer describing a book character. In RE 5725 I was able to write daily lesson plans for two below level readers in guided reading and writing instruction. I focused on developing sight words, fluency, and comprehension. Both students were instructed with a variety of texts including fiction and nonfiction. At the end of my tutoring, I wrote an overall recommendation for their continued development in the language arts curriculum.
2.2 Candidates use appropriate and varied instructional approaches, including those that develop word recognition, language comprehension, strategic knowledge, and reading–writing connections.
2.3 Candidates use a wide range of texts (e.g., narrative, expository, and poetry) from traditional print, digital, and online resources.
Standard 3. Assessment and Evaluation.
3.1Candidates understand types of assessments and their purposes, strengths, and limitations. / IRI and assessment battery
(summary sheet) and letter to a
parent from RE 5715, Reading
Assessment and Correction
Case reports from RE 5725,
Practicum in the Clinical
Teaching of Reading
Reflective summary paper and
Parent Letter from RE 5740,
Seminar in the Clinical Teaching
of Reading
Comparative Case Study from
RE 5210, Educating Students
with Reading Disabilities
Research paper from RE 5040, Teacher as Researcher / Assessment and evaluation is critical for the reading teacher. From using a wide range of data, a reading teacher can create purposeful lesson plans to address the student’s needs. In RE 5715, I gave assessments to students and learned to interpret them to use in preparing lessons that would increase their reading skills. Case reports from RE 5725 give the data on a summary sheet and was the basis used for determining language arts instruction for my two students. This information was also used in my reflective summary paper and parent letter to show results from the tutoring sessions. In RE 5210, I did a comparative case study of two students comparing and contrasting their reading abilities. My research paper from RE 5040 shows my ability to conduct action research in my classroom, collect data, and look at the results in an objective manner.
3.2Candidates select, develop, administer, and interpret assessments, both traditional print and electronic, for specific purposes.
3.3Candidates use assessment information to plan and evaluate instruction.
3.4Candidates communicate assessment results and implications to a variety of audiences.
Standard 4. Diversity.
4.1Candidates recognize, understand, and value the forms of diversity that exist in society and their importance in learning to read and write. / Literacy Through Photography project from RE 5130,
Teaching the Language Arts
Summarieson children’s books
from RE 5140, Advanced Study
of Children’s Literature
Read Write Think Lesson Plan
from RE 5730 Reading
Writing Instruction for
Intermediate & Advanced
Learners
Reflective papers from RE 5210,
Educating Students with
Reading Disabilities;
Wiki posts from RE 6575,
Technology and Literacy / Diversity of families and their cultures was the basis of my Literacy Through Photography project. From the Social Studies curriculum for first grade, we learned about how we are the same and how we are different. Students were able to share their diversity orally and through multigenre such as poems and narrative writing. For RE 5140, I wrote book summaries looking at the diversity represented in the texts. In RE 5730 I created a powerpoint Readers Theater script for three leveled reading texts to use with first graders. This Read, Write, Think lesson plan was built around increasing fluency. From reflective papers in RE 5210 I show how to address the needs of disabled learners and the diversity that exist between reading ability among students. In RE 6575 I posted a final reflection on the class Wiki stating the knowledge I had gained about using technology to address the needs of diverse learners.
4.2Candidates use a literacy curriculum and engage in instructional practices that positively impact students’ knowledge, beliefs, and engagement with the features of diversity.
4.3Candidates develop and implement strategies to advocate for equity.
Standard 5. Literate Environment.
5.1Candidates design the physical environment to optimize students’ use of traditional print, digital, and online resources in reading and writing instruction. / Blog , lesson plans, Literacy Through Photography project
from RE5130, Teaching the LanguageArts
Author’s study, book summaries,
from RE 5140, Advanced Study
of Children’s Literature
Book Baskets and Book Club from RE 5730,Reading and Writing Instructionfor Intermediate and AdvancedLearners
Action research paper and Powerpoint from RE5040, Teacher as Researcher
Wiki from RE 6575, Technology
and Literacy / The literate environment takes on many facets in this 21st Century. I know that I must stay current in my ways to teach literacy in these ever changing times.
In RE 5130 I developed a Literacy Through Photography project that used photography as a means for instructing literacy. Students used digital cameras to take pictures and interpret / respond to photos taken by others. In RE 5140 my book studies taught me how to develop lessons from multiple genres. My knowledge of the importance of addressing needs of all students was increased. In 5730 I created a basket of books of different genres and through my book club I was able to discuss ways to teach novels on the intermediate level. My action research on fluency in RE 5040 taught me how to do action research on my students in the classroom setting, I collected data and interpreted the data in a powerpoint to show the results from my project. The small group I worked with showed growth by using Readers Theater as a strategy from increasing fluency. My participation in the Wiki from RE 6575 shows my knowledge of the development of technologies that can be used to assist poor readers with diverse needs.
5.2Candidates design a social environment that is low risk and includes choice, motivation, and scaffolded support to optimize students’ opportunities for learning to read and write.
5.3Candidates use routines to support reading and writing instruction (e.g., time allocation, transitions from one activity to another, discussions, and peer feedback).
5.4Candidates use a variety of classroom configurations (i.e., whole class, small group, and individual) to differentiate instruction.
Standard 6. Professional Learning and Leadership.
6.1Candidates demonstrate foundational knowledge of adult learning theories and related research about organizational change, professional development, and school culture. / Product of Learning and
reflections in RE 5525, Product
of Learning
Action research paper and Powerpoint from RE
5040, Teacher as Researcher
Planned professional
development unit from RE 5730,
Reading and Writing Instruction
for Intermediate and Advanced
Learners
Personal Memoir from RE
5130, Teaching the Language
Arts
In-school professional
development and
leadership roles such as the School Improvement Team / I believe that I am a lifelong learner and I will continue to grow professionally. It is important to keep up with the changing times and to share ideas as a leader in my school and community. In RE 5525, the Product of Learning and reflections demonstrates the foundational knowledge that I have gained while attending the MA Reading program at Appalachian State University. This product shows the knowledge and skills that I have gained in the field of reading. It has prepared me to take a leadership role at my school in helping to educate students in literacy practices. My action research paper and powerpoint form RE 5040 shows my knowledge of conducting research in my classroom in order to benefit student learning. In RE 5730, my Professional Development unit taught me how to express my ideas to colleagues to benefit all students in our school in the area of literacy. From RE 5130, I learned how to increase development of my own personal writing and to teach by doing. My memoir was the springboard for my Literacy Through Photography project where my first grade students wrote their own memoirs. I have also proven leadership as a School Improvement Team member where I influence decisions relative to my school.
6.2Candidates display positive dispositions related to their own reading and writing and the teaching of reading and writing, and pursue the development of individual professional knowledge and behaviors.
6.3Candidates participate in, design, facilitate, lead, and evaluate effective and differentiated professional development programs.
6.4Candidates understand and influence local, state, or national policy decisions.