For this artifact, we created a lesson plan throughout this past semester. We created individual lessons with a group rubric, a Unit of Study, and our PLC description. Throughout this process when I created my individual lesson plan, I decided to do a lesson on the Westward Expansion in writing (our unit of study) for third graders. I focused on integrating concept maps to help student engagement and achievement. With creating a lesson plan, it helps both students and teachers understand the end goal of a unit or module. By being able to create a lesson plan, I was able to brainstorm different ways on how exactly to teach a lesson and grasp my inner third grader to see if they would understand it. This artifact aligns with Standard #8 Instructional Strategies, as the assignment shares how the instruction can meet the needs of different students, students are encouraged to develop a deep understanding of the content where they can further draw connections, as students are able to build skills to apply information appropriately.
While I completed this project, I was able to create something that I will most definitely use in the future as I plan on becoming an educator. This project will help me in the future as I create more lesson plans as a college student, especially for different content areas. I will also use this project in the future when I’m in the teaching field creating lessons and mapping out the school year. This project has expanded my pedagogical knowledge and has improved my future practice as an effective educator, as I now understand how to correctly create a lesson plan, rubric, and unit of study.
