The artifact which I submit to demonstrate this standard is the Integrated Literacy Assignment which I completed in the fall of 2011 for ECE 435 and implemented in the spring of 2012 during my 3rd Quarter student teaching experience in a First Grade Classroom. This artifact demonstrates my ability to create challenging, respectful and supportive learning environments for children and their families through the collaborative nature of the take home literacy pack. Through purposeful engagement with activities such as are included within the literacy take home pack, I am able to strengthen and build cohesive connections with families which in turn will support learning within the classroom community. This is submitted as a level IV artifact because I have successfully integrated this assignment and I will continue to utilize this piece in my future classrooms.

In this section I have selected an artifact which demonstrates my developing understanding of the multiple influences upon childrens development and learning. The artifact I submit is a reflective piece written in the fall semester of 2009 for course ECE 333 during which I completed ten hours of service learning at a local Community Action Agency. During my time at the Agency I shadowed Case Workers as they visited four clients homes and guided the client in the development of plans for short term and long term goals. This artifact demonstrates my understanding of multiple influences on childrens development and my understanding of the importance of creating healthy, supportive environments for children and their families. All families, especially those in need must feel supported and own a share of a sense of connectedness to the greater community. Through the collective efforts of agencies such as evidenced in my service learning experience; many families are emotionally and physically lifted from the despair that poverty creates for so many children and their families.  Now, three years later and I have gained additional knowledge about the real and tangible socioeconomic differences within our shared culture and the lasting effects that children and their families carry with them. I will continue to develop my own awareness as a professional and I will continue to promote healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging learning environments for all. This is submitted as a level IV artifact because I contend that it demonstrates how far I have come in my understanding and ability to continue in my personal reflection in order to meet the needs of the families I serve.  

For this standard, I submit a reading response paper which I wrote in EDU 379 during the spring semester of 2011. I am grateful to have read the piece which I reflected upon, it was highly meaningful to me when I read it, more importantly I was able to carry the knowledge and personal growth with me as a student teacher. I contend that this artifact demonstrates my commitment and ability to utilize developmental knowledge about myself and the children with whom I interact to create highly supportive learning environments for them. The evidence of the artifact speaks for itself; within the piece I reflect upon the reading as it pertains to a real life situation within my teaching as well as my reflective abilities. I respectfully submit this as a level IV artifact and contend that it is appropriate as it is demonstrative of my ability to purposefully reflect upon how I utilize developmental knowledge. I also contend that it illuminates factors within myself which I had not noticed prior to the artifacts evidence.