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Cortney Welacha

Artifact Reflection

Title: Child Study
Date: Spring Semester 2013

Artifact Description:
For this artifact, I choose my child study that I did in my Block 1 semester in the spring of 2013.
For my child study I was required to choose a child from my pre-student teaching placement at
the beginning of my semester that I would continuously work with throughout my placement.
The first thing I was required to do with my student was conduct an interview to get to know my
child better using an interest inventory. The next thing I did was give an informal reading
inventory or a baseline. Following the baseline, I conducted a running record with my student.
The next thing I did in my child study was give another informal reading inventory at the end of
the semester to compare to my first baseline. The final piece of my child study was a
professional report detailing my work with the student and any recommendations for progress.

ALIGNMENT Wisconsin Teacher Standard Alignment
I know that this artifact best aligns with standard eight of the Wisconsin Standards for Teacher
Development and Licensure which states: The teacher understands and uses formal and
informal assessments strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and
physical development of the pupil. I feel that this artifact aligns with this standard well because
I conducted both formal and informal assessments on my student throughout our time together.
This shows that I can appropriately use a variety of formal and informal assessment techniques
to enhance my knowledge of learners, evaluate students progress and performances, and modify
teaching and learning strategies. The first task I did with my child was an interest inventory.
Through the interest inventory I was able to get a good idea about the type of reader the child
was and the sort of reading he liked or didnt like to do. This interest inventory served as my
starting point and guided me in my selection of reading material for the child for the remainder
of the semester. I administered a Letter Name/Sound Identification Test both at the beginning of
our time together and at the end. I was able to effectively compare the data that I obtained from
the beginning and the end of the semester to see if there was improvement. I also conducted a
running record with my child and was able to successfully analyze the data to come up with a
score and accuracy rate. Following the completion of the semester and my child study, I was able
to put together a professional report of my student that would give any recommendations for any
teacher who would continue working with him to ensure progress. I think this artifact also aligns
well with this standard because I used a variety of different types of assessments while assessing
the childs reading skills. This shows that I understand the characteristics, uses, advantages, and
limitations of different types of assessments for evaluating how students learn and what kinds of
experiences will support their further growth and development. I was able to do all of these
assessments effectively with my student and was able to link appropriate future
recommendations for the child though knowledge I obtained from my Reading, Literacy, and
Literature 1 course that semester.

UW-Platteville School of Education Knowledge, Skill, Disposition Statement Alignment
I know that this artifact best aligns with KSD1.f. which states: The candidate understands, is
committed to, and can develop assessments that are clearly stated and congruent with
instructional goals. The students are aware of how they are meeting the established standards
and are involved in the goal setting process. I know that this artifact aligns with this standard
because I chose these specific assessments in the child study to align with our instructional goals
with the student. One of the main aspects that I wanted to focus on with the student was
phonemic awareness and letter recognition. Because this was one our main focuses, I choose to
assess the student using the Letter Name/Letter Sound assessment. I initially assessed the
student at the beginning of our time together to get a baseline. After I assessed the data, I based
our lessons on the areas that needed work according to the initial Letter Name/Letter Sound
assessment. The child knew what we were going to be working on and why.
Secondary Alignment:
KSD1.b. Demonstrates Knowledge of Students
KSD4.b. Maintains Accurate Records

Reflection:
What I learned about teaching/learning:
Through completion of my child study, I learned the importance of assessments and what to do
with the data obtained from one. I learned how to analyze and compare data from different
assessments. I now know the value of ongoing assessments as essential to the instructional
process. I also learned how to choose appropriate assessments for a child based on his/her needs
or goals. I feel that I am competent in selecting and administering all sorts of assessments
including both formal and informal. I also learned that the activities or reading exercises that I
chose for the child had to be linked to the data that I obtained from the assessments and also our
goals.

What I learned about myself as a professional educator:
My child study helped me start to build my experiences with assessing students. I learned the
importance of comparing assessment data to measure growth. A student will benefit more if the
teacher is using the assessment data productively to set goals for the child. I also learned how
rewarding it is to see improvement in a students assessments after working one-on-one to help
the child grow.

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