Erin Ashley Macmillan

The data sources include a combination of quantitative and qualitative data collected from school reports, assessment data, observational data, anecdotes, and surveys to faculty, students, parents, and community members.

I urge in my reported that administrators explore other options before cuts are made to the school’s music program. I recommend a community partnership that allows minority and at-risk students to participate in performing arts programs outside of school. To offset financial difficulties, I recommend arts-related fundraising events utilizing student and community talent.

3. Implements a cycle of quantitative and qualitative research that leads to improved student achievement.

4. Models critical and creative thinking skills in all areas of his or her professional life.

Portfolio Presentation

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

Department of Professional & Secondary Education

ESU Student ID#: 164746

Adviser(s): Dr. Angelo Senese (Secondary Education), Dr. Sandra Eckard (English), and Dr. James Vagliardo (Graduate)

Erin Ashley Macmillan

M.Ed. Candidate

Artifact Two

Artifacts

Seminar II Unit Plan Expansion

Research Question:

My research has the potential to validate funding for music education, but the economic reality is that financial backing is unlikely.

“How does participation in school music programs affect minority student attitude toward school and how does the academic performance of participating students compare to non-participating minority students?”

This research question includes the four quadrants of educational data in order to ensure a comprehensive view of school achievement:

• demographics, student achievement, school processes, and student perceptions

Artifact Three

Educational Data Research Project

I. Standards met by the artifact.

3. Implements a cycle of quantitative and qualitative research that leads to improved student achievement.

Artifact Five

Middle and Secondary Curriculum Report for Arts and Humanities

I. Standards met by the artifact.

4. Models critical and creative thinking skills in all areas of his or her professional life.

5. Employs effective verbal, nonverbal, and technological communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and guided interaction in a positive learning environment.

8. Takes a leadership role in developing partnerships and collaborative relationships with colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community.

In order to meet the instructional needs of diverse learners, this unit plan expansion describes modifications that can be made that reflect the principles of Universal Design for Learning.

I. Standards met by the artifact.

2. Articulates, applies and adapts theoretical constructs of learning and development, assessment, and effective instruction.

5. Employs effective verbal, nonverbal, and technological communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and guided interaction in a positive learning environment.

6. Performs as a reflective and ethical practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his or her choices and actions on others

Professional Resume

Artifact One

Seminar I Unit Plan on Persuasive Writing

I. Standards met by the artifact.

1. Employs the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and creates learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for diverse learners.

2. Articulates, applies and adapts theoretical constructs of learning and development, assessment, and effective instruction.

II. Concepts, ideas, and skills represented in the artifact that demonstrate mastery of the outcome(s).

This artifact demonstrates mastery of Master Teacher Outcomes one and two (listed above) in several ways:

Certification: •

• Exposes students to a variety of important texts, news articles, editorials, and advertisements to identify persuasive elements in writing.
• Lessons and assessments require students to answer inquiry-based and reflective questions that align with Bloom’s Taxonomy.
• Teaching activities utilized within the unit are varied in order to appeal to diverse learners.
• Direct instruction about the structural elements of persuasive writing
• Cooperative learning activities analyzing examples of persuasive communication in media and advertisements
• In-class writing activities where students practice using the elements of persuasive writing
• Jigsaw activities focused on expanding student understanding of Aristotle’s rhetorical appeals
• Class discussions about authors’ awareness of audience perception in examples of persuasive communication.
• Formative and summative assessments also demonstrate the application of theoretical constructs of learning and are valid, reliable, and fair.
• Formative assessments present students with varied and engaging opportunities to demonstrate their learning in a combination of individual and collaborative activities.
• Summative assessments require higher-order cognitive skills and include a mix of questions that ask students to analyze, synthesize, compare, connect, critique, and support their ideas in writing.

Advocacy:

Professional Growth:

Through a heightened understanding of successfully working with this subgroup, I can serve as an advocate of the profession through helping other teachers. It also allows me to serve as an advocate for students.

English Language Learners are among the fastest growing student groups in the nation. The need for teachers to be informed about the challenges these students face and the instructional methods that lead to increased learning is vital.

I demonstrate deeper understandings of concepts related to teaching ELLs, including language distance, specific academic lexicons, and L1 to L2 transfer of knowledge.

For this assignment, I interviewed an English Language Learner to discuss her adjustment difficulties and educational experiences as a student in the United States.

I made connections between what I learned through the interview to themes and concepts introduced in class discussions and readings.

Ultimately, I was able to discuss how my interview helped prepare me for working with English Language Learners in my future as an educator.

My commentary and reflections in this paper regarding potential applications for new knowledge show professional growth.

Pennsylvania Instructional Certificate in English (Level 1), Grades 7-12

English Language Learner Interview

Artifact Seven

I. Standards met by the artifact.

7. Engages in professional growth and serves as an advocate for the profession.

Philosophy Statement and Professional Development Plan

Education:

Master of Education in Secondary Education, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, In progress, expected August 2014

Graduate Level Teacher Certification in English Secondary Education (Grades 7-12), East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, May 2014

Philosophy Statement

Cum. GPA: 3.99

Artifacts from graduate program courses to demonstrate all Master Educator Outcomes based on National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education standards.

I have concluded that the most effective teachers are those who:

Professional Development

Bachelor of Arts in English (Creative Writing), East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, December 2010

Cum. GPA 4.0

As a master teacher, I recognize that learning is a life-long process, and I am committed to modeling this belief within my school and community.

Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance, Moravian College, May 2009

Cum. GPA 3.84

• create a classroom environment based on respect and dignity
• approach their content area as knowledgeable experts
• show a commitment to maintaining the highest levels of professionalism
• celebrate the diversity of their students
• provide students with multiple ways to express what they have learned
• demonstrate a true passion for the profession of teaching

Teaching Experience:

My professional development goals are to:

• obtain a position as a full-time English teacher that allows me to have an active role within the school community
• pursue additional certifications in ELL and/or special education
• pursue a principal certification

Substitute Teacher, Pocono Mountain School District, Swiftwater, PA, May 2014 – Present

Student Teacher, Nazareth Area Middle School, Nazareth, PA, March 2014 – May 2014

2. Employs the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and creates learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for diverse learners.

5. Employs effective verbal, nonverbal, and technological c

communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and guided interaction in a positive learning environment.

6. Performs as a reflective and ethical practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his or her choices and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community).

I also facilitate student-directed learning by asking students to work collaboratively to analyze a poem set to music to see if their perception of its theme changed.

M.T.O.

Student Teacher, Bangor High School, Bangor, PA, January 2014 – March 2014

I. Standards met by the artifact.

It demonstrates my ability to employ verbal, nonverbal, and technological communication techniques in order to lead to inquiry, collaboration, and guided interaction because I use music samples and video clips embedded into a Prezi as teaching tools for media analysis and to demonstrate how elements of Western music elicit particular emotional responses from listeners.

M.T.O.

It demonstrates my content knowledge as well as my knowledge about learners’ meaning-making processes, such as drawing upon prior knowledge, establishing cultural relevance, providing concrete examples, and utilizing media anchors.

M.T.O.

Artifact Four

M.T.O.

Based on my reflections, I would choose different music selections to use as examples in order to appeal more to my students’ interests. I would also turn this lesson into a two-day lesson to provide students with the time they need to adequately complete the discussion and assessment portion of the lesson.

For this lesson, I teach students to explore the literary concept of theme through listening to musical adaptations of Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken.”

M.T.O.

Educational Data Disproportionality Case Study and Analysis

I reflect on the planning and preparation process, transferring theory to practice, expectations versus reality, what I learned through teaching my lesson, and how I would alter the lesson for future uses.

M.T.O.

Supervision of Instruction Triad Clinical Supervision Model

Lesson:

Artifact Eight

National Trends in Advanced Placement Credits Earned by Black High School Graduates

The reflection component of this artifact demonstrates Master Outcome 6 because I evaluate the effects of my choices on my students based on my personal recollections, the feedback provided by my professor and peers, and a video recording of the lesson.

This artifact is a lesson and lesson plan reflection based on professor and peer feedback as well as a video recording of me teaching the lesson to a class of my peers. The assignment asked me to design, teach, and reflect on a lesson plan teaching some element of media analysis.

Reflection:

Over three classes, I worked with three other students to apply the major concepts of clinical supervision following the Danielson Model through role-playing as a teacher, clinical supervisor, and observer.

I. Standards met by the artifact.

7. Engages in professional growth and serves as an advocate for the profession.

8. Takes a leadership role in developing partnerships and collaborative relationships with colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community.

I taught a ten-minute mini-lesson incorporating effective teaching practices.

I took anecdotal notes during a lesson simulation, analyzed those notes, and conducted a pre- and post- conference using the clinical supervision model.

In my role as observer, I analyzed the effectiveness of the supervisor, evaluated her ability to conduct conferences, noted how well data was collected and interpreted, and rated the recommendations the supervisor made to the teacher.

Teaching English in Secondary Schools Lesson Plan and Reflection

Artifact Six

Through participating in the triad model, I engaged in meaningful collaboration that resulted in both my own professional growth and the professional growth of my partners:

As a teacher, I had the chance to teach a mini-lesson in a simulated classroom. The pre- and post-conferences that resulted from led to my professional growth as a teacher because I was given feedback from my supervisor.

Throughout the process, I served in all three roles:

Teacher:

Clinical Supervisor:

Observer:

Through this simulation, I acted as a leader in conducting the pre- and post-observation conferences. My report and analysis as a supervisor also demonstrates professional growth through evaluating a teacher’s performance in each of the four domains of Charlotte Danielson’s framework and providing specific quantitative evidence to support my report.

I. Standards met by artifact.

In Lost Boys, James Garbarino exposes the troubling reality that childhood and adolescent violence in boys is a far more prevalent issue in the United States than we are willing to believe. In the 1997 – 1998 school year, childhood violence in boys reached its media zenith with five fatal school shootings committed by middle-class white teenagers in small towns and suburban areas. In the fear surrounding these tragedies, violence in boys became a topic of serious conversation across the country for the first time. However, Garbarino exposes the troubling reality that childhood and adolescent violence in boys is hidden and ignored epidemic in our country’s inner-city and urban areas, where children, teens, and adults fall victim to acts of violence committed by boys. In Lost Boys, Garbarino discusses the reasons for child violence in boys and teens by tracing factors from birth to adolescence.

In Letters to a Young Teacher, Jonathan Kozol addresses the most pressing issues in contemporary public education through a series of letters written to a first-year teacher named Francesca. In his letters, Kozol addresses Francesca’s questions and concerns assumes through sharing his own experiences in his early career working as a teacher in an all-black inner-city school in Boston.Though Kozol remains optimistic that effective, engaging, and passionate teachers can make lifelong impressions on students in our nation’s most impoverished cities, he is critical of the trends prevalent in public education today. His letters regarding high-stakes testing and school-choice waivers are especially condemning because he believes they punish the students and schools most in need of support.

Lost boys: Why Our Sons Turn Violent and How We Can Save Them.

Letters to a Young Teacher

Questions?

In The Rise and Fall of the American Teenager, Thomas Hine traces the invention of the concept of “teenager” from its origins in the early part of the twentieth century to its realization in contemporary culture. Adults view today’s teenagers as a wholly unique subgroup of society that is both beautiful and perilous. They are no longer children and not yet adults, and this span of years is marked by tumult and exploration. Today’s teenage years, however, are only the most recent manifestation of an age range that’s shifted and evolved over the past several hundred years. In addition to providing an overview of the conflicting messages teenagers receive regarding work, sexuality, priorities, and their role in society, Hine provides readers with a chronological account of the culture of youth in America through a discussion of the economic and educational experiences and realities of young people over the past 300 years. Ultimately, Hine argues that being a “teenager” is not a natural stage of human development, but rather an invention created over time and shaped (and reshaped) by societal values.

In Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls, Rachel Simmons explores the unique and “hidden” culture of aggression in girls that expels the notion that girls are the kinder and gentler sex. Prior to Simmons’ book, little research had been done into the forms of girls’ silent and indirect aggression that differs from the traditional forms of bullying often displayed by boys. Traditionally viewed as masculine behavior, overt aggression is expected from boys. Girls, however, are expected to nurture others. In Odd Girl Out, Simmons focuses on the types of covert aggression that girls hide from their parents, teachers, and guidance counselors. The availability of various technologies, such as social media, email, texting, and online chatting has also provided girls with alternatives to direct conflict.

Stephen Covey suggests that success requires a balance of personal and professional effectiveness. Covey asserts that life is the result of a series of choices; every moment provides new choices, and those choices can lead to positive or negative changes. In order to pursue positive changes, Covey offers seven habits: be proactive; begin with the end in mind; put first things first; think win-win; seek first to understand, then to be understood; synergize; and sharpen the saw.

The Rise and Fall of the American Teenager

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls

Annotated Bibliography