Standard9

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**Standard 9**  ** Teachers are able to evaluate themselves. ** // The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his or her choices and actions on pupils, parents, professionals in the learning community and others and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally. //

**Evidence 1: Moodle Questionnaire/Survs/p21.com [|Questionnaire Report.webarchive], 21st Century Framework**

**Rationale 1:** One of the methods I have chosen to improve as an educator is diversifying my methods. Although this can be detrimental if it is not based upon those that I am teaching. Some aspects of class are more effective with routine so overdoing the variation may confuse students and just waste time. In order to get feedback with things that I have done that have worked or that need improvement, I look to the best resource I know, my own students. Initially, I used a Web 2.0 tool known as Survs, which provided me instant feedback on how students were adapting to my teaching methods. They were able to respond to online questionnaires I provided that centered around their experience and their outlook on how effective things were. The questionnaires are global and touch on all different aspects of the classroom, from content to accountability. I did these at the end of every few chapters. Since then, we started using Moodle, which has a questionnaire module since it was more convenient, it replaced Survs and I used it more frequently. I plan on using this after every chapter in my upcoming classes. Both Moodle and Survs not only provide the responses, but also organizes the data where I can use the summative information to evaluate myself. I have found that I can easier adapt to student needs when they communicate them to me. Although I still feel I have to improve on the effectiveness of my surveys so they are not so broad and overwhelming on both my students and me. I have also included the link for the 21st Century Framework which I learned about in-depth in this program. This framework will revolutionize how I teach and will be a guide for me to run my classes. I think it is imperative that we teach all of these skills and outcomes as well as use the support systems to our full advantage. Without these, I don’t feel that our students are becoming well-rounded young adults that can thrive in our society in the future. I plan to often look to this framework for guidance and self-improvement to make sure I am providing opportunities for students to learn these skills.

**KSD**

// 9.K.1 The teacher understands methods of inquiry that provide him/her with a variety of self-assessment and problem-solving strategies for reflecting on his/her practice, its influences on students’ growth and learning, and the complex interactions between them. //

I feel that by obtaining students’ honest feedback, which they are more apt to give electronically and anonymously than in person, I can really improve on aspects of teaching that benefits them while maintaining my strengths. Students also provide me with information on which concepts they struggle with and how they have worked to improve on them. Overall, I can then use this feedback for my improvement but also provide them with information that will help them become independent learners.

// 9.S.2 The teacher uses classroom observation, information about students, cultural, social, and philosophical frameworks, and research as sources for evaluating the outcomes of teaching and learning and as a basis for reflecting on and revising practice. //

Combining students’ feedback with grades and communication with parents allows for me to adapt my methods to fit individual needs as well as whole-class needs. With the upcoming changes I plan to make by implementing the 21st Century Framework, there is no better time to make the necessary changes to my teaching and evaluate their effects on student learning.

// 9.D.4 The teacher is committed to seeking out, developing, and continually refining practices that address the individual needs of students. //

I have learned that it is important not to settle and to continuously adapt and enhance my lessons and methods to benefit my students. Every year is different, so it should be impossible to use previous lessons and methods without them being a little less effective. That is why I am choosing to use the 21st Century Framework as a model because it is the one I have researched that I feel best fits the needs of the students. Since I haven’t been doing this before, I will need to refine my practices.