SCED 4989: Professional Learning Plan (Professional Development) and Leadership Assignment Name: Aubrey Ence Major: Mathematics

Education Date: March 2014

Note: This will be placed in your DM6: Teaching Dispositions Section as a Benchmark Assessment. Directions- Write in the information below. Part I: DM4: Reflection: Seek learning experiences (e.g., professional, research, colleagues, community) as sources of reflection to improve teaching. 1. Identify one source (e.g., research/books, professional development/workshops, colleagues, community experiences, etc.) and explain how this has helped you improve your teaching. Research has had the largest effect on how I teach. Throughout the education program I have read through and implemented many research articles on education. There are many changes occurring in the education field and I believe the only way to keep up is to implement new learning strategies. The research Ive focused on is based on collaborative learning and ESL strategies. By implementing the ideas from the research Ive found Ive improved as a teacher because I am more adaptive and understand how to properly implement collaborative learning activities.

2. List your professional content organization with its website (Example, NCTM, NCTE, etc.) What resources are available for teaching and professional development (e.g., conferences/workshops, etc.)? NCTM: http://www.nctm.org Annual meeting and exposition. This consists of classes that cater to teaching using the common core. There is also an expo with the latest books, resources, and technology. Research conference: April 2014 in New Orleans. Regional conferences and expositions. Interactive institutes that teach the latest trends in Mathematics education including common core, assessment, and technology. Part II: DM4: Develop a professional learning plan based on individual needs and the needs of the learners, schools, and educational community. Fill in the information below based on your student teaching experience. 1. Describe the teaching support that is available to students, faculty, and community. Example, tutoring services, staff developers, PLC, etc.

Lunch enhancement tutor (content specific). PLC can meet 4th period every B day. Tend to have entire department meeting 2-4 times each month. The rest of the days are used for curriculum development in specific classes, where 2-3 teachers work together to enhance the curriculum. Each math teacher is in his/her class before school, after school and during lunch for students who want tutoring services from their specific teacher.

2. Identify one area of weakness you are currently experiencing and identify a goal you can set to make an improvement in this area. a. Weakness: Summarizing the information learned each class period. b. Goal: Work towards summarizing the lesson 100% of the time. 3. Rationale: Write a short reason why it is important to set and reach this goal. Important features of an effective lesson plan are opening class with what the students will be able to do after the lesson, and closing the class with a summary of what they learned and are able to do. This helps solidify learning and creates consistency in the classroom. The students know what is expected of them and are reminded of that before they leave the classroom. By reaching this goal students will be able to gain understanding from assignments and make the necessary connections. 4. How will you measure/assess if you reached your goal? I will keep a chart of each class and whether or not I summarized the lesson each day. 5. What is the timeline for your goal? The timeline will be approximately three weeks (enough time to begin keeping track at the start of a unit and follow through until the end of that particular unit.) 6. Explain if you met your goal and what was the outcome?

Part III: DM6: Participate as part of a learning community, sharing responsibility for each students learning by giving and receiving feedback. 1. Explain your experience with participating in a professional learning committee (PLC) at your school. Explain how the members on the committee shared responsibilities for each student's learning?

The teachers at my school meet regularly and work extremely well together. They often conference about students who is in one teachers class, and was in the next teachers class the previous year. As a group, they conference on methods that have motivated the specific student in the past and how to keep that motivation going. They work together to fill in gaps in learning. For example; if one teacher felt they didnt explain the material well for a section, the teacher that gets the student the following year hits that material extra hard.
2. Explain

how you engage in professional learning to enhance knowledge and skills in your content area and how you may share your knowledge and skills to advance professional practice with other colleagues. The Desert Hills High math department PLC is extremely efficient in working together to help each other grow professionally. I know each teachers strengths, so I know who to go to when I need help in a particular area. For example I have no problem using the smart board, but I wanted to take full advantage of the piece of technology. I had one teacher update me on how to use sister devices (clickers). I had another math teacher (tech specialist) show me all their tricks and give me any advice they had on the device. After mastering these tricks I have shared them with other teachers in my PLC as well as other student teachers in my program.