Wisconsin Educator Standards: 2) Student Learning

Standard #2:  The teacher understands how children learn and develop, and can provide learning opportunities that support their intellectual, social, and personal development.

I am aware of how children learn, and I understand that many things influence their learning.  I appreciate that there will be diverse talents among my students and I will use my students' strengths to help them develop.  I will take these things into consideration as I plan my lessons.

Artifact six is a "Multiple Intelligences Based Learning Styles Self-Test- Wilderness Ed Edition" worksheet.  It was given to me to increase my awareness of the different intelligences I have.  Being ware of these strengths will help me be a better teacher.  I can use my strengths and work on my weaknesses.  I was not surprised by my weaker intelligences (math and logic), however, I was quite surprised by a relatively high music score and an even higher score in interpersonal intelligence.

By examining the different intelligences I was able to see the need for teaching to multiple intelligences.  It also helps me describe one theory associated with human learning.  

Artifact eleven is a collection of my work from "The Trans- Amazon Expedition" with the Wilderness Classroom Organization.  I participated in the third stage of this expedition where, along with five other expedition members, I paddled a canoe on the Amazon River from Manaus to Belem (approximately 1,000 miles).  We were in internet contact with over 10,000 elementary and middle school students along the way.   We created a virtual field trip for students by posting journal entries, photographs, podcasts, interviews, short movies, and surveys and questionnaires for students.  In addition to our web site, there was a curriculum, written to Illinois state standards, to help teachers incorporate the WCO into their daily classroom activities.  

Through the WCO, I was able to help students learn and grow in numerous ways.  One important tool, within the WCO web site, challenges students to consider the difficulties and issues the expedition team is facing.  This is referred to as the ‚ÄúDaily Dilemma.‚Äù Students are asked to reflect on the situation and write to the team explaining what they would do if they were facing that problem.