InTASC Standard #1

Rationale/Reflection

Standard #1 Learner Development

“The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences” (InTASC, 2013).

Brief Description of Evidence:

In the spring semester of 2022, in my EDUC 240 Introduction to Physical and Health Education for Elementary Teachers class, I constructed a milestone flyer focusing on the grade of third grade. The purpose of creating this artifact was to grow my understanding as the teacher over how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas.

Analysis of What I Learned:

I learned about the importance of students and teachers making sure they reach these milestones. We discussed the effects if they might surpass these milestones or not reach them by the target grade. To fully understand the standard and show what I learned, I would want to add the cognitive and linguistic areas in development. I would grow my research on those two topics through online research. I also grew my knowledge about how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas through in-person communication with teachers at each grade level (InTASC, 2013). Another great tool I used was online research. Through my online research study, I found lists that educators look at to pull milestones from to remind themselves and be aware of where their students should be in each category. The students are able to work on each developmental milestone in the classroom, constantly growing.

How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the InTASC Standard:

My milestones flyer pairs perfectly with Standard #1. My flyer involves students meeting cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical area goals. Teachers are able to develop an understanding by drawing upon knowledge of all learner growth development areas. By educating myself on these important milestones in the learners’ development, I am more educated as a teacher to know where my students are at reaching these goals. Knowing these topics allows me to design and implement developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences by incorporating simple steps to eventually reach the milestone desired. I would implement a quarterly check to see where they are at on their milestones. I would do this by personally doing a quick pull-out and checking all their skills in which they should be hitting by making a fun game to observe them in. By making this flyer, it is a visual target goal for teachers to look at and try to strive for. The flyer will eventually exhibit all of the components of standard #1 once I add cognitive skills by using Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development by listing categories that interact with your senses, such as intellectual skills. In Piaget's theory of cognitive development, it suggests that intelligence changes as children grow, which is what my flyer is about (Mcleod, 2020). The flyer contains the goals that third graders should reach at that age.

Citations:

Council of Chief State School Officers. (2013, April). Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards and Learning Progressions for Teachers 1.0: A Resource for Ongoing Teacher Development. Washington, DC: Author.

Mcleod, S. (2020, December 7). Jean Piaget’s Theory and Stages of Cognitive Development. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html

Mcleod, S. (2020b, December 29). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html

Milestones