WSTDL: #4 Instructional Strategies

Title: Different instructional strategies in the classroom

Date: Spring 2015
Artifact description

The artifact is a Kahoot on wood joint identification that I made. Kahoot is an online game
where questions and four answers are projected on the board. Students pick from the four options
and the get points based on whether or not they answered correctly and the time it took to answer
correctly.

My second artifact is a picture of a few truss designs I made for the 8th grade exploratory class where
they made towers. I made the trusses to show students badly designed trusses as well as some good
truss designs. I had the students break the trusses so they could form their own opinion on what truss
design was strongest without directly telling them.

Alignment Reflection

My experience aligns with Wisconsin Standards Teacher Development and Licensure number four.
Number four is Instructional Strategies and it states The teacher understands and uses a variety

of instructional strategies, including the use of technology, to encourage children

development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.

My artifact aligns with this standard because through my student teaching experience, I have
picked up quite a few different ways of teaching. Whether it be making and breaking model
trusses, presenting a power point, or an instructional game show; there are a lot of different ways
of getting your lesson across to students. I also think it's good to have varied method of
teaching; it keeps the students more engaged than strictly doing something like power point
presentations.

UW-Platteville Knowledge, Skill, Disposition Alignment

My experience aligns with UW-Platteville Knowledge, Skill, and Disposition Alignment KSD3.b. :
This standard states The candidates questioning techniques and instructional strategies are of
uniformly high quality with special attention given to available time for student response, varied
levels of questions, and adequate student involvement in the discussion/instructional process.

My experience aligns with this standard because I have used varied questioning techniques and

instructional strategies to reach a broader base of students to really illiterate a point. In the case
of the trusses, I gave adequate time for the students to think about what I was presenting and I
asked leading questions to get them to the correct answers themselves but also start a discussion
about the trusses/their design.

KSD1.a. : The candidate displays extensive content knowledge of his/her subject areas and
demonstrates a continuing search for new content knowledge, resources, and best instructional
practices, while understanding student diversity and student misconceptions and misunderstandings
as key to the teaching process.

KSD1.b. : The candidate displays knowledge of the typical developmental characteristics, learning
styles, skills, interests, developmental

backgrounds, and cultural heritages of students and is

always aware of the broad ranges and variety present for each of these student characteristics and
lifestyles.

KSD1.d. : The candidate actively seeks materials and resources to enhance instruction by utilizing
school and district resources as well as other resources available outside the school/district.

KSD1.e. : The candidate, with appropriate student input, has the ability to develop relevant, goaldirected, engaging, clear, and varied learning activities that progress coherently and produce a

unified instructional setting that reflects recent professional research.

KSD1.f. : 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.

KSD3.c. : The candidate has the ability to engage students in the learning process by linking
appropriate content, based upon suitable instructional materials and resources, to students
knowledge and experience, being certain that all students are cognitively engaged in the
activities/assignments and that the students actively contribute to the content design. Instruction is
highly coherent and appropriately paced for all students and allows for reflection and closure as
appropriate.

KSD3.d. : The candidate can provide timely, high quality feedback that is useful to the students in

their learning.

KSD3.e. : The candidate has the ability to make appropriate adjustments to his/her instruction and
accommodates students questions and interests while being aware of student differences and
difficulties, and can use a wide range of resources and strategies to meet all students needs in the
classroom.

Personal Reflection

What I learned about teaching/learning from this experience

From my experiences, I learned that using different instructional strategies is the best way to
reach the largest number of students. Ive also found technology to be a more and more integral
part of my classroom. Things like Kahoot are best played on a touch screen smart phone, but
can still be used on a normal computer. Kahoot tests student knowledge in an extremely fun
fashion, students always seem to want to play Kahoot.

What I learned about myself as a prospective educator as a result of this experience/artifact:

I learned that using varied methods of instruction are the best way of reaching the most students.
Another thing I learned is that testing student knowledge doesnt, for the most part, need to be a
paper and pencil test, it can be a fun activity. I also find it best to use real life examples when
trying to illustrate a point. The students could have learned about truss design with a power
point, but I think having a physical model they can play with and break really got the message
across.