InTASC Standard #4: Content Knowledge
- The teacher understands 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 the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of the content.
To best show my competence in InTASC standard #4 (Content Knowledge) I will show that I understand the central concepts important to the subject I teach. I will also show that I use tools of inquiry and structure to create meaningful learning experiences.
The first artifact I chose to exemplify my understanding of the content knowledge is a questionnaire. This is one I used in my student teaching experience at Senior High School. Students are asked to watch a video which shows the central dogma. The video is a realistic graphical representation of the process. I mute the video and allow the students to watch. Based on what I have taught them they attempt to recognize the structures seen in the video. This is an exceedingly difficult thing to grasp for many students. From my experiences as a scientist, I am able to make the information uncomplicated and assessable so that my students are able to apply the knowledge to the world outside the classroom.
My second artifact is a lesson I created that shows how I will use inquiry and structure to create meaningful learning experiences. Inquiry is an important part of science. This lesson explores the students interest in science as well as tasks them to come up not only answers, but more questions which they need to propose in order to “receive a research grant” to explore the answers. This lesson shows how I use tools of inquiry to allow my students to answer and ask questions in order to learn best. This lesson is meaningful to the students because someday this way of thinking could be important when they might actually be in a situation where they need to ask questions rather than look for answers right away.
These artifacts helped me to become a better teacher because they solidified that I understand the content well enough to teach it to my students in a meaningful way. It also proved to me just how important using the tools of inquiry is to me specifically as a science teacher. It is exceedingly important that my students not only look for answers but further question the answers they come up with and receive from others.
The first artifact I chose to exemplify my understanding of the content knowledge is a questionnaire. This is one I used in my student teaching experience at Senior High School. Students are asked to watch a video which shows the central dogma. The video is a realistic graphical representation of the process. I mute the video and allow the students to watch. Based on what I have taught them they attempt to recognize the structures seen in the video. This is an exceedingly difficult thing to grasp for many students. From my experiences as a scientist, I am able to make the information uncomplicated and assessable so that my students are able to apply the knowledge to the world outside the classroom.
My second artifact is a lesson I created that shows how I will use inquiry and structure to create meaningful learning experiences. Inquiry is an important part of science. This lesson explores the students interest in science as well as tasks them to come up not only answers, but more questions which they need to propose in order to “receive a research grant” to explore the answers. This lesson shows how I use tools of inquiry to allow my students to answer and ask questions in order to learn best. This lesson is meaningful to the students because someday this way of thinking could be important when they might actually be in a situation where they need to ask questions rather than look for answers right away.
These artifacts helped me to become a better teacher because they solidified that I understand the content well enough to teach it to my students in a meaningful way. It also proved to me just how important using the tools of inquiry is to me specifically as a science teacher. It is exceedingly important that my students not only look for answers but further question the answers they come up with and receive from others.